WNST - 114

For now, however, a serious problem lay before Wanyan Pu. 

She couldn’t personally return to Lido Prefecture to deal with Xie Queshan. She needed to stay in Jinling, leveraging her current advantage to extract greater concessions from the Yu Dynasty court. 

She also couldn’t make any rash moves. She had to act as though she knew nothing. Otherwise, her deepest-planted piece might be exposed. 

The balance of power in their contest teetered on the edge, ready to tip at the slightest shift caused by a single piece of intelligence. 

Thus, she could only send a message to Wanyan Jun, leaving him to handle the situation. 

Though Wanyan Pu maintained a strong stance, Jinling was ultimately enemy territory, and her actions were inevitably constrained. Moreover, Shen Zhizhong had tightened control over all channels of communication in and out of the city, keeping even her Black Crow Corps under close surveillance. Who could she trust to deliver this critical piece of information back to Lido Prefecture? 

Wanyan Pu thought of the Gui Lai Tang. Over the years, she had participated in their business ventures and knew they operated trading houses in Jinling as well. 

But now, she wasn’t entirely sure she could trust Zhang Yuehui. 

There were no specific red flags—just a gut feeling. 

This same intuition had surfaced when she looked at Xie Queshan. 

Back in Daqi, they were all outsiders, each wearing masks of cold indifference and selfishness. But upon returning to Yu territory, Wanyan Pu had begun to sense that they were merely wanderers hesitating to return home. 

As the Han saying went, “The heart is hidden behind the belly.” Who could predict when someone might change—or perhaps they had never changed at all, only concealing their true faces. 

Previously, she had entrusted Xie Queshan’s matter to Zhang Yuehui because she knew he wouldn’t dare cause trouble or defy her on matters out in the open. But when it came to things done in secret, a slight manipulation would leave no trace to investigate. 

Yet, aside from the Gui Lai Tang, who else could she rely on in unfamiliar Jinling? 

Wanyan Pu hesitated. In the past, she and Zhang Yuehui had been partners fighting side by side. 

Closing her eyes, she reflected deeply, memories of him flashing through her mind frame by frame. 

---

Zhang Yuehui had built his fortune through moneylending and gambling dens. 

On one hand, he lent money at high interest rates; on the other, he ran gambling halls where people lost everything they borrowed right back to him. Money flowed in and out, but it always ended up in his pocket, raking in pure profit. 

Not everyone could thrive in such a shady line of work. This business dealt daily with thugs, scoundrels, and desperate men. To survive, you had to be even more ruthless, cunning, and unyielding than them. 

Who would have guessed that the mastermind behind it all was a smiling, scholarly-looking young man? 

His gambling dens, along with the pleasure houses and taverns attached to them, brought the dazzling decadence of Han culture into the capital of Daqi. Overnight, the mysterious Gui Lai Tang gained widespread fame. 

Wanyan Pu set her sights on this enterprise. 

At the time, Daqi’s treasury was drained from years of war, and she was scrambling to raise funds for her elder brother, the king. She quickly grasped how the gambling dens operated and realized what a brilliant way it was to secretly siphon money from the pockets of nobles and ministers without them noticing. 

She wasn’t exactly a benevolent person—she wanted to seize this Han-run business for herself. 

So she set a trap. 

Not long after, a murder occurred in the gambling den, prompting the authorities to raid the place. That was when Zhang Yuehui finally appeared. 

It was the first time Wanyan Pu laid eyes on the owner of the Gui Lai Tang. She sat in a nearby tavern, unseen, observing the commotion in the gambling hall from afar.

Despite the gravity of the situation, this man appeared as languid as if he had just woken up. He casually threw on an outer robe, strolled through the chaotic gambling hall, and sat down at the largest gambling table. With a relaxed posture, he crossed his long legs, exuding an air of unrivaled confidence. 

He sneered lazily, “Hmph, so you just want my gambling den? And here I thought you’d gone through all this trouble because you held me in such high regard, Mr. Zhang.” 

He beckoned to the leading officer overseeing the raid. “Officer, how about we play a round?” 

The officer was one of Wanyan Pu’s men, sent specifically to handle this matter for her. He had expected the owner of Gui Lai Tang to be groveling and pleading for mercy by now, but instead, here he was, suggesting a game. 

Without waiting for a response, Zhang Yuehui casually picked up a dice box and began shaking it with practiced ease. The surrounding crowd fell silent, leaving only the crisp sound of the dice rattling inside the box. 

Slap—he pressed the dice box onto the table as if issuing a challenge. 

Even Wanyan Pu, seated across the street, felt as though she could hear the echo of that sound. 

Seeing that the officer hadn’t taken the bait, Zhang Yuehui calmly said, “I see you find this too boring. Fine, let’s raise the stakes. Let’s make it more exciting.” 

“You insolent scoundrel! Stop wasting time and confess your crimes!” The officer, eager to wrap things up without being led astray, raised his voice and barked at Zhang Yuehui. 

“My wager is the entire Gui Lai Tang—if you win, it’s all yours. If you lose, it stays mine.” 

“What?” The officer thought he had misheard. 

They had investigated beforehand and knew that Gui Lai Tang wasn’t just a single gambling den or tavern—it was a vast network of both overt and covert operations. Their target today was only this one gambling den. At worst, Zhang Yuehui would lose this establishment, but now he was voluntarily putting up an even larger stake—what was his plan? 

Zhang Yuehui raised an eyebrow, signaling that the officer hadn’t misunderstood, and showed no intention of repeating himself. 

“Why are you willing to gamble like this?” the officer asked, utterly baffled. 

Zhang Yuehui smiled faintly and glanced toward the tavern across the street. 

Though Wanyan Pu was hidden behind a screen, she felt as if Zhang Yuehui’s gaze had pierced through and seen her. 

“But,” he continued, “I want the noble person behind you to play with me.” 

At his audacious words, the officers immediately drew their swords, and Zhang Yuehui’s men stepped forward protectively, creating a tense standoff. 

Just then, the crowd outside stirred, and a woman dressed in red entered. Wanyan Pu, appearing in plain attire, shook the dust off her cloak as she entered, the bells on her wrist tinkling melodiously, exuding an air of brilliance and boldness. 

Zhang Yuehui uncrossed his legs and rose gracefully. “Please, prepare a seat for Her Highness, Princess Wanyan.” 

Wanyan Pu paused mid-motion—they had never met, yet he had accurately addressed her title. His perceptiveness was chilling. 

This piqued Wanyan Pu’s interest. She appreciated clever individuals. 

She calmly took a seat at the gambling table, scrutinizing him from head to toe. She couldn’t shake the feeling that he was up to something. A simple high-low dice game had a 50/50 chance—how could he remain so calm? 

He wouldn’t dare cheat in front of her unless he had a death wish. 

The crowd outside grew larger, and the guards sealed off the gambling hall, closing the doors and windows. Light seeped through the cracks in the wooden walls, slicing into narrow beams, creating a cage of light around them. 

“Your Highness, will you bet on high or low?” 

Lost in thought, Wanyan Pu was interrupted by Zhang Yuehui’s question. 

Despite the enormity of the stakes, he remained completely unfazed, moving with deliberate slowness as if this were mere child’s play. 

It was an irresistible puzzle, and Wanyan Pu relished it. She was determined to uncover what this man was truly after. 

“I’ll bet on high.” 

“You may open the box.” 

Zhang Yuehui handed the initiative over to Wanyan Pu. 

But her movements hesitated—she sensed that she was now in a passive position. Yet, no matter how she analyzed it, this gamble seemed to offer Zhang Yuehui no clear advantage. Unable to discern any clues, she found herself caught in a dilemma, reluctant to face the outcome immediately. 

It had been a long time since she had felt such intense hesitation, and almost instinctively, she spoke. 

“Mr. Zhang, are you truly willing to gamble this much? Can you bear the consequences if you lose?” 

“If I win, the honor of playing against a princess will bring endless prestige to my gambling den. If I lose, it’s merely a chance to start over. The most valuable asset of Gui Lai Tang isn’t these establishments—it’s me.” 

What arrogance. 

Wanyan Pu immediately understood. This was an act of submission. By piquing her curiosity and prompting her questions, Zhang Yuehui was subtly conveying that neither a gambling den nor the entire Gui Lai Tang was particularly valuable. The real treasure was him—the ultimate money-making machine. 

What he was gambling for wasn’t Gui Lai Tang but her favor. 

This subtle flattery pleased Wanyan Pu far more than the hollow praise of sycophants. 

He needed a powerful backer to operate his businesses in Daqi, while she needed capable talent to amass wealth. If they cooperated, they could each fulfill their needs and mutually benefit. 

Wanyan Pu directly picked up the dice from the box, crushing them in her hand, and walked over to Zhang Yuehui. 

Leaning slightly forward, she braced one hand on the back of his chair, looking down at him from close proximity. What should have been an emotionless appraisal somehow carried an ambiguous hint of intimacy. 

Her voice carried a teasing lilt. “Gambling can be harmful to one’s health. I’d like to change the game.” 

“Whatever Your Highness desires.” 

“What you seek, I shall grant. From now on, I want forty percent of the profits from all your businesses.” 

Wanyan Pu opened her palm, revealing that the dice had been reduced to fine powder, which scattered gently onto Zhang Yuehui’s robe.

The light took on a tangible form amidst the swirling dust. 

Through the dancing beams, Zhang Yuehui smiled and asked, “Does Your Highness know what I want?” 

She countered directly, “What do you want?” 

Zhang Yuehui glanced at the leading officer. “This man is too rough—he’s made a mess of my place.” 

Wanyan Pu turned to her subordinate and sharply commanded, “Leave.” 

---

After that incident, Wanyan Pu became another silent partner behind Gui Lai Tang. 

Her ambitions were vast—not just for supreme power but also to establish a new order for the Daqi dynasty. She relished standing shoulder to shoulder with men in the imperial court, enjoying the thrill of being an ambitious player who challenged the world’s sharp edges. 

She knew that Zhang Yuehui’s pursuit of wealth wasn’t purely out of greed—it was more about watching people lose their minds at gambling tables, caught between illusion and reality. 

He wanted to be a different kind of ant. 

On rare occasions, she pitied him. A man without a home, in this world, he believed only in money because it would never betray him. 

Thus, she also knew he didn’t truly trust her. 

Nor did she trust him. 

This man had turned himself into an outsider, yet she still admired him greatly. He was like his gambling den—dangerous and harmful, yet the possibility of winning was irresistibly enticing. 

Over the years, she had indeed reaped immense benefits from their collaboration. It wasn’t just the wealth he brought her, but also his elusive, untamed nature that constantly pushed her to climb higher. 

That subtle sense of conquest. 

At this moment, she already had a leaning toward an answer. 

She still needed to use Zhang Yuehui. 

Their game of chance, which began when that dice crumbled into powder, had stretched across long years, its mystery still unsolved. 

She had invested too much to back out now. Knowing there was a risk of losing, she still thought only of taking the gamble, dreaming of winning big. At this moment, she resembled a red-eyed gambler, telling herself this would be the last time—win or lose, she would walk away after this. 

And so, gritting her teeth, she pushed all her chips in.